Evaporator



(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- H. A. MERRIAM.

EVAPORATOR.

No. 589,091. 3 Patented Aug. 31,1897

H. A. MERRIAM.

2 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

,EvAPoRA oR.

Patented Aug. 31,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

noRAoE ARNOLD MERRIAM, on sAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

EVA PO RATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,091., dated August31, 1897.

Application filed August 14,1896- Serial No. 602,813. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE ARNOLD MER- RIAM, a citizen of theUnited'States, and a resident of San Francisco, in the county of SanFrancisco and State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Evaporators; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to let tersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation,

partly broken away, of an evaporator embodying the invention. Fig. 2 isa vertical section taken on line 000:, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection taken on line 1 y, Fig. 1. Fig. lis a detail sectional view ofone of the supports for the upper frame, and Fig. 5 is a similar viewshowing one of the eccentrics which actuate the pan.

This invention is designed to provide an evaporator of improvedcharacter possessing simplicity and economy of construction and amaximum area of heating evaporating-surface capable of being heated toany desired degree without the disadvantages foundin an ordinaryevaporating-pan due to the expansion and contraction thereof. 7

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts, all substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the appended claims. 1 Referring to theaccompanying drawings,

1 the letter A designates the evaporating pan or surface, which isformed by a series of pipes or hollow tubes placed side by side inlengthwise arrangement and connected one with another in a liquid-tightmanner by solder, brazing, or other suitable means.

a are lateral guard-strips which are secured to the outside pipes andwhich form the sides of the pan.

a are cleats or battens which extend transversely underneath the pan atproper intervals, being rigidly'secured to the pipes. The cleats orbattens at their end portions project beyond the pan and are turneddownwardly, as indicated at a and securely bolted to a longitudinalframe-piece B. These pieces B extend the entire length of the evaporatorand arein turn secured to uprights or posts 0, which are secured to andrest upon the longitudinal parallel beams or upper sills D.

The beams or sills, with their cross connections, and the posts 0 andpieces B constitute what I term the upper frame of the evaporator. D isa lower frame composed of two parallel sills or beams, which at one endare hinged to a suitable bed E, as indicated at d. The support for theupper frame upon the lower one consists of'a series of metal balls F .tothe mechanic.

at each side, which are seated between flanged cups G, secured to thebeams or sills above and below each ball. These ba-llsjit will beobserved, form movable bearings for the upper frame, whereby it with thepan may have imparted thereto an oscillatory or shaking motion or acompound lateral and vertical movement. The means for imparting suchmovement maybe of an yof the various kinds known In the drawings I haveshown such means as consisting of a shaft H, supported centrally andlongitudinally underneath the upper frame in boxes or bearings H,carried by the lower frame and carrying at suitable intervals eccentricsH which ro- Late in bearings 11 of said upper frame and thereby give itthe desired movement. Such movement may be either regular or irregular,its purpose being to keep the liquid flowing over the pan in a state ofagitation, in order that new portions thereof may constantly be exposedtothe heating evaporating-surface of the pan and to the air above.

The shaft H is driven by a shaft 1, connected thereto by universalcoupling I and carrying a driving-pulley l Endwise movement of the upperframe and the pan is prevented by an antifriction end bearing 1 Inoperation it is necessary that the pan shall be supported in an inclinedplane, the degree of inclination depending upon the nature of thesubstance operated upon or of the product to be obtained, and it becomesnecessary in making such adjustment to also adjust both the upper andlower frames in order not to interfere with the support and bearing forthe upperframe. To this end the sills of the lower frame are hingedlyconnected to the bed of the evaporator, as above described. To effectthe adjustment, a shaft J may be journaled transversely underneath theupper portion. of the upper frame in bearings g of lower frame, saidshaft carrying pinions J, which are arranged to run in racks J, attachedto fixed posts J of the bed. K are holding-pawls for securing theadjustment. In lieu of this arrangement,however,ordinary lifting jacksor screws may be set under the upper end portion of the upper frame.

L designates the cover for the pan, supported some distance above thesame and formed with depending lateral portions or curtains L, whereby aclosed chamber is provided. Through this chamber a current of air isforced in operation by means of a suitable blower M, located at eitherend of the machine.

The series of pipes forming the bottom or heating surface of the pan areclosed at their upper ends except for small pipes N, fitted into themand joined to a larger pipe or manifold N, which are connected by aflexible hose N with the steam-supply pipe N An exhaust-pipe O, withsuitable valve, is connected to the lower ends of the said pipes tocarry off the water of condensation, the connection being by means ofthe small tubes 0.

Attached to the respective ends of the pans are extensions P P, havingraised rims 1). The extension I at the upper end forms the receptacleinto which the branched feed-pipe R discharges and P at the lower endthe receptacle for the product of evaporation, from which it flows offthrough a suitable discharge S.

It will be seen that the steam-pipes forming the bottom of the panprovide What is in effect a corrugated surface therefor, which largelyincreases the area of such surface; also, that by means of thisarrangement any amount of steam may be employed without the dangerarising from undue expansion and contraction found with the ordinaryflat pans.

The effect of the agitation is to constantly expose new surfaces of theliquid to the heated surface and also to the air-current above, whichcarries off the vapors.

The machine may be used for distilling-fermented liquors by catching andcondensing the vapors in the usual way. It may also be used in vacuo byinelosing it in a suitable air-tight jacket or closure.

llaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an evaporator, the combination of the lower frame hinged at oneend, and means for raising and lowering said frame on its hinges, of theupper frame, the movable bearings between the two frames and upon whichthe said upper frame rests,the heating-coils supported in said upperframe and forming an evaporating-surface, and means for imparting motionto said upper frame,substantially as specified.

2. In an evaporator, the combination of an upper frame, a pan supportedtherein, a lower frame having rolling bearings upon which the upperframe rests, said lower frame being hinged at one end and means forimparting vibratory or oscillatory motion to said upper frame and pan,substantially as specified.

3. In an evaporator, the combination of the lower frame having thelongitudinal sills or beams hingedly secured at one end to the bed ofthe evaporator, and means for raising and lowering the free ends of saidsills, the ballseating cups carried by said sills, the upper framehaving similar but inverted cups, the balls seated in and interposedbetween the upper and lower cups, the pan secured in said upper frame,and means for imparting motion to said upper frame to agitate the liquidflowing over the said pan, substantially as specified.

I. In an evaporator, the combination of the lower frame having thelongitudinal sills hingedly connected at one end to the bed of theevaporator, means for raising and lowerin g their opposite ends, themovable balls seated in bearings of said sills,the upper frame havingbearings which rest on the said balls, means for imparting motion to thesaid upper frame, the series of contiguous steam-pipes supported in saidupper frame and constituting the bottom of an evaporating-pan, theextensions at each end of said pan, into one of which the feed-pipedischarges, and from the other of which the evaporated product isdischarged, means for supplying steam to said pipes and for removing thewater of condensation therefrom, an air-chamber above said pan, andmeans for forcing a current of air through said chamber, substantiallyas specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE ARIOLD MERRIAM.

\Vitnesses:

W. II. POLLARI), LUIS KELLY.

